by Ellen Kane is on a role. When we speak, the choreographer and movement director has two shows, ballet shoes in the national theater and Natasha, Pierre and the big comets from 1812 in Donmar. She just finished why I’m so single? The follow-up of the authors of six, the hit over Henry VIII. Women and she is in rehearsals for the revival of Dear England, James Graham’s funny and moving representation of Gareth Southgates Tenure, in rehearsals as England Manager. If you were looking at all of these shows in a row, you would have no idea that the same person had one hand in all of them, the art of the movement director is a job that many may not even recognize. But it is an essential.
“Outside of the fact that a scene actually leads, everything that is moved on stage is usually done by me,” says Kane and talks behind the scenes of the national. Of course, this means that every dance, but also scene transitions, characters from A to B and with actors work on how they combine with the audience. It helps to make the emotional experience of a character visible. “So that we, the audience, can feel it,” she says. “I love to feel. I can see something and appreciate it: “Oh, that’s beautiful.” But do I go moved? “
What strikes about these shows is how the awakened audience are in its energy – and part of Kane’s task is to form this energetic sheet in order to make a visceral experience and an intellectual experience in the theater. In Natasha, Pierre and the big comet from 1812 there are the characters at the crisis point, which deal with love, infidelity and the meaning of life. “Huge topics of human existence,” says Kane, “so the vibration of the person who deals with these things is great, right? We will not only tell you about it, because we do not live this experience. “She does not work by dealing with exercises or movements, but by analyzing the text. “I love to find the right energy for every blow, the sharp curves and the corners they can take.”
At dear England, it was a discouraging task to help the actors turn into well -known footballers. Kane didn’t work much with Joseph Fiennes on his impressive Gareth Southgate. “Joe did it himself,” she says (Gwilym Lee will take over the coat in the revival). But to improve the squad-Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford et al.-sie and co-movement director Hannes Langolf studied hours-long film material from the players and analyzed mannerisms and tics. She brought footballers Lee Dixon to teach them, teach exercises and formations, and brought all of this into the show to create the spirit of a game without ever giving a ball.
“Rupert Goold, the director, is a big fan of football and he said:” Let us bring in the ball. “And I said, ‘Ooh, that’s how it is!’ “She laughs and conjures up. “Because you will never replicate the real thing. If there is no ball, you can only feel the tension in the situation, and our task is to increase the tension. “
Choreography in theater and film is an underestimated art. In addition to Movement Director Polly Bennett, Kane works with equity to set up a choreograph network and deal with the low profile in the industry. “You know,” she says, “why are there no Oscars for choreography? Why are there no BAFTAS? Why are we not credited? “Kane’s work about the film by Matilda the Musical is, for example, commented on social media (example:” The choreography for Matilda is amazing “;” This musical was too sick and you have to look at it “), but your name is Rarely connected.
Not that Kane is honor. She is only enthusiastic about what she does, even if she never really planned this career. When I grew up in (pre-genre) Hackney, London, there was the strange post-school class and a randomly selected dance gcs, but as a dancer of the Lewisham College in her school, she recalls: “I was just so moved, that I was so moved. I was like ‘I have to do that!’ “
She went to Lewisham, who completed an inspiring dance course in the nineties, full of late starter who had never done a ballet course, many of which have undertaken. This course is no longer and Kane complains that the decimation of the arts in schools will not be left for others like it to get to the industry. “There are not many people in the working class at this level. Now there will be less. How do we get there if there is no exposure and no access? “You can’t argue that it is a superfluous topic, she says. “Dance has changed the trajectory of my life. It must be valid. “
When she went into dance training, Kane was adamant that she would never do music theater. She played contemporary dance with Richard Alston’s company and others. But she started choreographing on Billy Elliot as an assistant by Peter Darling, and now she takes her step at 50, with two big musicals, Nanny McPhee and Paddington. “I just love my life,” she says, “and grateful that I have the opportunity to make these stories alive.”
• Ballet shoes are located in the National Theater in London until February 22nd. Dear England, is at the same event location on March 10, March 24.
